Commonly, electro-immobilization devices (such as TASER® systems marketed by TASER International, Inc. and stun guns) deliver electric shocks to subjects. These devices may be used by security personnel to control recalcitrant persons. Recently, however, some questions have been raised about effects of the delivery of an electric shock to a subject on the subject's cardiac function. For instance, there is increased speculation that cardiac function is disrupted by application of an electric shock. It would therefore provide utility if substantially simultaneously, or at a relatively short time after delivery of a shock to a subject, a physiological function of the subject could be monitored and documented in data storage media.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,831,199 to McNulty et al. describes a weapon for immobilization and capture. U.S. Pat. No. 5,654,867 to Murray describes an immobilization weapon. U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,809 to Rowan describes an interactive transector device which provides for monitoring an individual's electrocardiogram (ECG). Published U.S. Patent Application 2001/0012918 by Swanson describes utilizing electrical energy pulses to temporarily stun a zone of tissue of a patient. Swanson mentions monitoring ECGs of the patient U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,223,073, 5,954,664 and 5,655,540 to Seegobin describe breaking ECG data into frequency bands for analysis. U.S. Patents identified by the Examiner during examination of the parent Patent Application, Ser. No. 10/631,683, include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,803,436 to Cover, 5,962,806 to Coakley et al., 4,852,454 to Batchelder, 3,971,292 to Paniagua, and 6,636,412 to Smith.
There is a need for systems and methods for applying temporarily incapacitating electric shocks via ballistically implanted electrode(s), and simultaneously or after a short period, monitoring physiological parameters via the same electrode(s), then using the monitored physiological parameters for altering characterizing parameters of follow-on temporarily incapacitating electric shocks administered to the subject for the purpose of lessening the risk of injury to the subject.